1/8/08

Rustic bread bowls

I made bread bowls for our Christmas Eve soup dinner from this recipe: No-Knead Bread. This is the most amazing recipe ever! You just mix up a few ingredients, let them sit overnight, and tomorrow you shape it, let it rise, and bake it. So easy; you just have to plan ahead.

Baking this recipe as three small bread bowls instead of one big loaf was a bit of a challenge, but I managed by putting two in my 6-quart oval Dutch oven and one in my 3-quart round. It would be tricker if I had a bigger family.

Despite the challenge in baking, this recipe is ideal for bread bowls; just reduce the baking time a bit. The sides and bottom get quite crusty, so the bowls would be appropriate for thinner soups like chicken noodle and minestrone.

Whether you make bread bowls or just one big loaf, I highly recommend this recipe. It comes out with an amazing, rustic look, very crusty crust, and amazingly complex flavor.